Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the small intestine: histologic, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural features of three cases and its differential diagnosis

Multiple sarcomatoid carcinoma of the small intestine with perforation as the initial symptom: case report and review of the literature

Background

Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the small bowel is an exceedingly rare gastrointestinal tumor characterized by a biphasic cellular pattern of epithelioid and mesenchymal-like cells. Due to its rarity and non-specific clinical presentation, it is frequently misdiagnosed, and there is a lack of standardized management guidelines. We report a case of multiple sarcomatoid carcinoma of the small intestine, presenting initially with gastrointestinal perforation. Additionally, we conducted a comprehensive review and analysis of the clinical manifestations, immunohistological characteristics, and prognostic factors associated with small intestinal sarcomatoid carcinoma, aiming to enhance diagnostic accuracy and therapeutic strategies for this rare malignancy.

Case presentation

An 82-year-old man was admitted with a 1-week history of abdominal pain, exacerbated by the onset of fever in the last 24 hours. Abdominal CT revealed thickening of the small intestinal wall and free gas within the mesenteric space, indicating gastrointestinal perforation. Emergency surgery identified multiple tumors in the small intestine, accompanied by perforation. Postoperative pathology confirmed the diagnosis of sarcomatoid carcinoma of the small intestine.

Conclusion

We report a rare case of sarcomatoid carcinoma of the small intestine and conduct a thorough literature review to offer new insights into its diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. This highly malignant tumor, predominantly found in the jejunum and ileum, is characterized by high recurrence and metastasis rates, leading to a poor prognosis. Notably, postoperative radiotherapy does not improve outcomes. Abdominal CT is highly sensitive for detecting small bowel tumors but cannot confirm SCA due to its nonspecific imaging features. In contrast, small enteroscopy or capsule endoscopy offers greater diagnostic clarity. Increased awareness among clinicians is crucial for early detection and intervention.

Metastatic sarcomatoid carcinoma to bone

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Distinguishing sarcomatoid carcinoma from primary sarcoma is clinically important. We sought to characterize metastatic sarcomatoid bone disease and its management.

METHODS

We analyzed the characteristics of all cases of sarcomatoid carcinoma to bone at a single institution from 2001 to 2021, excluding patients with nonosseous metastases. Survival was evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS

We identified 15 cases of metastatic sarcomatoid carcinoma to bone. In seven cases the primary cancer was unknown at presentation. Renal cell carcinoma was suspected or confirmed in nine cases. Nine patients presented with pathologic fracture and two with concomitant visceral metastases. All patients underwent image-guided core needle or open biopsy. Ten required surgery for discrete osseous metastases; in four cases definitive surgery was delayed (median delay, 19 days) due to inability to rule out sarcoma with frozen section. No patients required reoperation or had construct failure. Thirteen died of disease; median survival was 17.5 months (interquartile range, 6.2-25.1).

CONCLUSIONS

Metastatic sarcomatoid carcinoma is a clinically challenging entity. Multidisciplinary input and communication are key to identifying the primary carcinoma, locating osseous metastases, and defining an operative fixation that will survive the remainder of the patient's life.

A rare multiple primary sarcomatoid carcinoma (SCA) of small intestine harboring driver gene mutations: a case report and a literature review

Primary sarcomatoid carcinoma (SCA) is a type of rare tumor consisting of both malignant epithelial and mesenchymal components. Only 32 cases of SCA of the small bowel have been reported in the literature to date. Due to its rarity and complexity, this cancer has not been genetically studied and its diagnosis and treatment remain difficult. Here we report a 54-year-old male underwent emergency surgical resection in the small intestine due to severe obstruction and was diagnosed with multiple SCA based on postoperative pathological examination. Over 100 polypoid tumors scattered along his whole jejunum and proximal ileum. Chemotherapy (IFO+Epirubicin) was performed after surgery while the patient died two months after the surgery due to severe malnutrition. Whole-exome sequencing was performed for the tumor tissue with normal tissue as the control. Important cancer-related gene mutations, including KRAS (c.37G>T, p.G13C), TP53 (c.871A>T, p.K291*), EGFR (c.1351C>T, p.R451C), and CDKN2A (c.104_138del, p.G35fs), were found among 286 nonsynonymous somatic mutations (SNV and Indel). Copy-number amplified genes mainly gathered in chromosome 6, 7, 16 and 20. Mutation clustering analysis showed that main genetic abnormalities included DNA methylation, DNA alkylation, cellular homeostasis, and shared similarities with melanoma, glioma, prostate cancer, bladder cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, and pancreatic cancer. In summary, the genomic features of the small intestine SCA were explored at whole-exome level for the first time, and over 200 somatic mutations were identified in the tumor tissue. Key tumor driver gene mutations were revealed, as well as several aberrant functional pathways. These results contribute to further understanding of the pathogenesis and molecular mechanism of this rare tumor.

Complete response to radiation therapy for nasopharyngeal sarcomatoid carcinoma

Nasopharyngeal sarcomatoid carcinoma (SaCa) is extremely rare, and concurrent chemoradiation is the standard treatment for squamous cell-based nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC). This case report gives the first explanation of a nasopharyngeal SaCa patient treated with volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) with simultaneous integrated boost (SIB), which is an excellent treatment modality that leads to complete response for locally advanced NPC. A 70-year-old male presented with nasal obstruction, epistaxis, and right neck node enlargements. Examination revealed an extensive tumor of nasopharyngeal tumor extending into the nasal cavity and right parapharyngeal space with bilateral lymphadenopathy on positron emission tomography (PET)-computed tomography images of focal hypermetabolic bone lesion in C4 body (stage T3N2M1). An excisional biopsy of nasopharyngeal wall mass showed a SaCa. He received concurrent chemoradiation which was VMAT and systemic chemotherapy (cisplatin 60 mg). A dose of 70 Gy was delivered to the planning target volume (PTV₇₀) (gross tumor volume plus margin 3-5 mm) and PTV_59.4(a wider margin around high-risk clinical target volume, including the clivus and neck nodes) all given in 33 fractions. Radiological examination such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and PET images at the completion of external beam therapy revealed questionable residual disease. Follow-up MRI scans 4 weeks after radiotherapy revealed a complete tumor response. VMAT with SIB can be an effective treatment option for SaCa of the advanced nasopharynx.

Sarcomatoid carcinomas of the gallbladder: clinicopathologic characteristics

Sarcomatoid carcinomas recently came into the spotlight through genetic profiling studies and also as a distinct model of epithelial-mesenchymal transition. The literature on sarcomatoid carcinomas of gallbladder is limited. In this study, 656 gallbladder carcinomas (GBC) were reviewed. Eleven (1.7%) with a sarcomatoid component were identified and analyzed in comparison with ordinary GBC (O-GBC). Patients included 9 females and 2 males (F/M = 4.5 vs. 3.9) with a mean age-at-diagnosis of 71 (vs. 64). The median tumor size was 4.6 cm (vs. 2.5; P = 0.01). Nine patients (84%) presented with advanced stage (pT3/4) tumor (vs. 48%). An adenocarcinoma component constituting 1-75% of the tumor was present in nine, and eight had surface dysplasia/CIS; either in situ or invasive carcinoma was present in all cases. An intracholecystic papillary-tubular neoplasm was identified in one. Seven showed pleomorphic-sarcomatoid pattern, and four showed subtle/bland elongated spindle cells. Three had an angiosarcomatoid pattern. Two had heterologous elements. One showed few osteoclast-like giant cells, only adjacent to osteoid. Immunohistochemically, vimentin, was positive in six of six; P53 expression was > 60% in six of six, keratins in six of seven, and p63 in two of six. Actin, desmin, and S100 were negative. The median Ki67 index was 40%. In the follow-up, one died peri-operatively, eight died of disease within 3 to 8 months (vs. 26 months median survival for O-GBC), and two were alive at 9 and 15 months. The behavior overall was worse than ordinary adenocarcinomas in general but was not different when grade and stage were matched. In summary, sarcomatoid component is identified in < 2% of GBC. Unlike sarcomatoid carcinomas in the remainder of pancreatobiliary tract, these are seldom of the "osteoclastic" type and patients present with large/advanced stage tumors. Limited data suggests that these tumors are aggressive with rapid mortality unlike pancreatic osteoclastic ones which often have indolent behavior.

Sarcomatoid Carcinoma in the Parotid Gland: A Review of 30 Years of Experience

OBJECTIVE

The goal of this study was to analyze the results of clinical treatment of sarcomatoid carcinoma in the parotid gland by reviewing 30 years of experience.

METHODS

Thirty-five patients were enrolled in this study. The Kaplan-Meier methods were used to calculate the recurrence-free survival (RFS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) rates. The Cox model was used to determine the independent risk factor.

RESULTS

Mean age at presentation was 57.8 years, and most of the patients were staged as tumor (T)3 or T4. Perineural invasion was noted in 15 (42.9%) patients. Fifteen (42.9%) patients received neck dissection due to clinically suspicious nodes. Of those, three patients had pathologically positive nodes. Recurrence was noted in 14 patients; the most common pattern of treatment failure was local recurrence, and only 40% of the patients could receive salvaged surgical treatment. Disease-specific death was noted in 10 patients. The 5-year RFS and DSS rates were 67.3% and 65.7%, respectively. In a multivariate analysis, only the factor of perineural invasion was independently correlated with death.

CONCLUSION

Parotid sarcomatoid carcinoma carries a poor prognosis, and perineural invasion was the most important predictive factor.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

2b Laryngoscope, 129:1137-1140, 2019.

Primary sarcomatoid carcinoma of the small intestine: very rare and aggressive tumour

Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the small intestine is a very rare and aggressive variant of small intestinal cancers with poor prognosis. The tumour primarily affects middle-aged and older patients with a mean age of 57 years at the time of presentation. We report a woman aged 58 years without any relevant medical history who presented with small intestinal obstruction. She underwent radiologic and endoscopy investigation with persistent features of small bowel obstruction. The patient was found to have a small bowel tumour causing the obstruction and underwent surgical excision of the tumour. Pathology revealed malignant neoplasm with sarcomatoid and epithelioid features involving the terminal ileum. The use of immunohistochemical markers helps in wide range of differential diagnoses. Surgical resection is still considered the best and first-line therapy with poor response to chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the jejunum with gastric metastases: A case report and review of the literature

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Sarcomatoid carcinoma (SCA) of jejunum is an extremely poor prognostic tumor in human being.

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The diagnosis of SCA was based on pathological observations and immunohistochemical staining.

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Surgery is the cornerstones of treatment but the ideal means is still unknown due to the short survival and inadequate reports.

Introduction

Sarcomatoid carcinoma (SCA) of jejunum is an extremely rare condition. To our knowledge, only 17 cases have been reported in the literature.

Presentation

We introduced an additional case of the sarcomatoid carcinoma of jejunum in a 62-year-old Chinese male who presented with epigastric pain for 3 weeks. Multiple tumors originated in the jejunum and metastases to mesentery lymph nodes and distal stomach were found during the laparotomy. The patient underwent palliative resection of the tumors. He died 11 days after the operation.

Discussion

Sarcomatoid carcinoma (SCA) of jejunum is an extremely poor prognostic tumor in human being. The diagnosis of SCA was based on pathological observations and immunohistochemical staining. There is no official treatment guideline for SCA, but wide excision including the tumor is the main goal of treatment.

Conclusion

This is the first case of sarcomatoid carcinoma of jejunum with gastric metastases being reported and also the shortest survival period after the operation. Surgery is the cornerstones of treatment but the ideal means is still unknown due to the short survival and inadequate reports.

Primary sarcomatoid carcinoma of the jejunum with massive intra-abdominal hemorrhage: A case report and review of the literature

Primary sarcomatoid carcinoma of the jejunum is an extremely rare condition, with only 16 cases reported in the literature to date. We herein report an additional case of a giant sarcomatoid carcinoma of the jejunum in a 62-year-old male patient, presenting as massive intra-abdominal hemorrhage. During emergency laparotomy, ~5 litres of bloody ascites was found in the peritoneal cavity and the tumor was located in the proximal jejunum. The tumor involved the entire wall of the jejunum and had directly invaded the neighboring parietal peritoneum, omentum, transverse colon and mesentery, with metastatic lymph nodes. The patient underwent palliative resection of the tumor; however, the course was rapidly progressive and he succumbed to progression of abdominal and liver metastases 4 weeks after surgery. The tumor was found to be positive for epithelial and mesenchymal markers on immunohistochemical analysis. This case emphasizes the aggressive clinical course and metastatic nature of this malignant tumor, with a supplementary review of the previously published literature.

Multiple metastases to the small bowel from large cell bronchial carcinomas

AIM: Metastases from lung cancer to gastrointestinal tract are not rare at postmortem studies but the development of clinically significant symptoms from the gastrointestinal metastases is very unusual.

METHODS: Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues were cut into 5 μm thick sections and routinely stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Some slides were also stained with Alcian-PAS. Antibodies used were primary antibodies to pancytokeratin, cytokeratin 7, cytokeratin 20, epithelial membrane antigen, vimentin, smooth muscle actin and CD-117.

RESULTS: We observed three patients who presented with multiple metastases from large cell bronchial carcinoma to small intestine. Two of them had abdominal symptoms (sudden onset of abdominal pain, constipation and vomiting) and in one case the tumor was incidentally found during autopsy. Microscopically, all tumors showed a same histological pattern and consisted almost exclusively of strands and sheets of poorly cohesive, polymorphic giant cells with scanty, delicate stromas. Few smaller polygonal anaplastic cells dispersed between polymorphic giant cells, were also observed. Immunohistochemistry showed positive staining of the tumor cells with cytokeratin and vimentin. Microscopically and immunohistochemically all metastases had a similar pattern to primary anaplastic carcinoma of the small intestine.

CONCLUSION: In patients with small intestine tumors showing anaplastic features, especially with multiple tumors, metastases from large cell bronchial carcinoma should be first excluded, because it seems that they are more common than expected.

Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the small intestine: a case report and review of the literature

Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the small bowel is rare; to our knowledge, 19 cases have been reported to date in the English literature under several names. We report an additional case occurring in the jejunum of a 55-year-old man. The tumor was a polypoid 7.5-cm mass, which infiltrated the full thickness of the intestinal wall and the serosa of an adhesed loop of small bowel. On microscopic examination, the neoplasm was composed of sheets of spindle cells; focally, an anaplastic component was present, including tumor giant cells with bizarre nuclei. On immunohistochemical stains, tumor cells were positive for cytokeratin 7, cytokeratin AE1/AE3, vimentin, and focally, epithelial membrane antigen. No staining for cytokeratin 20 was found. Sarcomatoid carcinoma must be kept in mind in the differential diagnosis of malignant spindle cell tumors of the small bowel. As consensus regarding the terminology of these rare tumors is being reached, immunohistochemical stains are essential for accurate diagnosis.

Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the pancreas: a case report with immunohistochemical study

Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the pancreas is an uncommon neoplasm. The immunohistochemical characteristics of this unique type of pancreatic tumor were studied. Histologically, there was diffuse proliferation of atypical spindle cells that had hyperchromatic, short, spindle-shaped nuclei and pale cytoplasm. A few tiny foci of small tubular structures were seen in connection with the atypical spindle-shaped cells. Immunohistochemical examination showed that the spindle cells were positive for epithelial cell markers (cytokeratin AE3, cytokeratin AE1, epithelial membrane antigen) and DF3 (MUC1 apomucin-related antigen (ARA)), and were negative for markers such as vimentin, desmin, neuron-specific enolase, and myoglobin. DF3 antigen is known to be expressed in invasive ductal carcinoma of the pancreas and liver, as well as of the breast. Other MUC1-ARA (MY.1E12, MUC1 glycoprotein, HMFG-1, HMFG-2) and anti-CA19-9 were also detected in the present case. Thus, this tumor was diagnosed as anaplastic carcinoma (sarcomatoid carcinoma).